January 20, 2012

The rapeseed growers' group of Saskatchewan and its corresponding sector development group have taken SaskCanola as their merger label.

The Saskatchewan Canola Development Commission (SaskCanola) and the Saskatchewan Canola Growers Association (SCGA) announced last week they've merged into one organisation managing all grower resources and representation.

During 2010-11, the boards of both groups "determined that as the industry and marketplace continues to expand, rapeseed producers and stakeholders would be better and more effectively served by one organisation to manage all services related to our farmers and the industry," said SaskCanola's new chair Brett Halstead, a grower at Nokomis, Saskatchewan.

The two boards "actively participated in a transition process" during 2011 to allow the SCGA'spolicy and government outreach activities to be "effectively incorporated into SaskCanola's mandate," the groups said.

SaskCanola's board now expands to eight registered producer members, including two former SCGA board members. A new policy committee of the board has also been established, SaskCanola said.

SaskCanola was set up through the work of SCGA members in 1991 to advance market development, communications and research initiatives, SCGA past-president Jeff Pylatuik of Humboldt, Saskatchewan said.

SaskCanola "will now be a stronger organisation with the inclusion of the policy portfolio of the SCGA," he said in a release, following the SCGA's final annual meeting last week in Saskatoon.

Along with Halstead as chairman, the merged board includes Joan Heath of Radisson, Saskatchewan as vice-chair, Tim Wiens of Herschel, Saskatchewan as treasurer and directors Franck Groeneweg, Terry Youzwa, Stan Jeeves, Dale Leftwich and Tyler Markusson.